Onions and garlic in modules

[Vince G]

My garlic and onions have been pathetic this year. I think it's a lack of decent rain and a lack of nutrients in the light sandy soil. Under my rotation system they are due to go to plot 1 next, where my spud were this year. So I've got green manure growing there at the moment (mustard) and am intending to muck it too.

However while all that's going on I'm wondering if it's feasible to start my soon to arrive autumn planting varities in modules and plant them out either in early winter once I've mucked, or overwinter them in the poly and plant them out early spring.

Has anyone done this before? I reckon the onions would be OK in a module as the set is only half buried, but just wondering about the garlic.

[Penellype]

I'm not an expert, but I have seen people say they start onions off in modules, so as long as they are hardened off and you choose a mild spell to transplant them I should think they would be fine. Garlic needs a cold spell in order to form individual cloves, so you would need to overwinter them outside. I don't know about modules for garlic.

[ChingfordHarry]

I've had no success with garlic in modules - well, it sprouted and produced a few leaves but did not survive to be transplanted.

However, one or two of my neighbours do it and it works well for them. Not sure if they plant out after a couple of months in the modules in Autumn, or over-winter then plant out in Spring - I'll try to remember to ask when I go over to the allotment this afternoon.

[ameno]

I used to plant my garlic in small pots of compost and leave them outside over winter. If I got a hard winter, they would die. I think being in pots makes them a lot more susceptible to freezing solid.

Both garlic and onions ought to be alright in modules in your polytunnel, though. Yes, garlic does need a cold spell in order to initiate splitting, but in an unheated polytunnel it should still get cold enough for that.

[Vince G]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. On reflection I think I'll do a quick fix on a strip of plot 1 for the garlic. It's rare my part of East Anglia gets so cold that pots might freeze, but I get that it's a possiblity and wouldn't want to lose them all. Dig in some muck well, surface dress with allium fertiliser and plant.

Onions will go in modules in the poly or more likely little 2" pots of which I own hundreds! If we do happen to get a really cold winter they can come home and live in the utility room for a bit as it is unheated.

I really must do a plan of my allotment, I keep talking about plot 1 this, plot 2 that....you must think, I've got no idea what he's talking about, just humour him..! Haha

[bramble]

I start off my onions in modules in autumn and overwinter them in the greenhouse.
I plant out the garlic in the ground in October and have never lost any to the weather.

[Plot70]

What I do it to buy several good sized bulbs from a real greengrocer in October and store them in the allotment shed until December and then plant them out. Some supermarket ones take two years to form segmented bulbs. Garlic can survive all that the weather can throw at it if it is dormant and dry. They just need to be in the ground at least a week or two before the ground begins to warm up.
Has anyone tried planting those tiny cloves that appear in the flower heads?

[MelanieSW]

Has anyone tried planting those tiny cloves that appear in the flower heads?

Yes, I did that a few years ago, it took 3 or 4 years before I got small bulbs with cloves which I then used as seed garlic last year. It was more of a novelty and I'm glad I tried it, but I'm not sure I'd do it again considering the time it took.